This invention relates to a method and apparatus for loading bottles. More specifically, this application relates to an apparatus for loading bottles from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation off of a conveyor and onto a shelf on a rack.
Water is typically fed into a large bottle while vertically oriented. A cap is then placed on the bottle's top and the bottle is fed onto a conveyor. A bottle loader then picks up the bottle and transports it to a shelf on a rack.
The bottles' orientation is typically changed from vertical to horizontal using a turner. The turner tips the bottle onto its side. The bottle is then rolled on a track into position adjacent a rack. Alternately the bottle is rolled onto an elevation which positions the bottle adjacent the racks. Once the bottle is in position it is pushed or lifted onto the rack.
A drawback of some of the prior art techniques is that as the rate at which the bottle is to be loaded on the conveyor increases, the bottles become clogged on the conveyor. Further, the bottles tend to vibrate when rolled as the bottle's speed is not controlled. Consequently, the bottles may tumble and jump the track. If the bottles jump the track they may jam the loader and halt the loading process.
Many loaders use elevators that lift the bottles to align the bottle with the shelf racks. Elevators have many moving mechanical parts and prove to be unreliable. Further, when the elevator's speed is increased the elevator may not lift all of the bottles. Thus, the speed of the elevator limits the throughput rate at which the bottles are loaded.